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This original "Super Tuscan" is unquestionably one of Italy's most famous wines, and has a worldwide reputation for its style, which is... Bordeaux, and yet inimitable. More info
Bolgheri DOC Sassicaia Tenuta San Guido serve at a temperature of 16°C. It will pair perfectly with the following dishes: Filet de boeuf en croûte, Tournedos rossini, Carré d'agneau.
Peak: To drink
What the experts say...
The soaring beauty of this landmark Sassicaia literally transcends the rather mundane realm of wine critique with its string of adjectives and wearisome descriptors. It hardly deserves to be treated like any of the other gorgeous wines we tasted on this glorious day. In truth, the 1985 Sassicaia does reveal a new perspective onto its perfection each time you have the fortune to taste it. I noticed a layer of bright almond-like sweetness that I don't recall tasting before. The wine seems to be getting younger, not older. Even its appearance is remarkable. Of the various samples presented from the 1980s, this wine exhibited the brightest garnet color and the most youthful personality. It shows stunning volume. The integration is seamless and the wine's many complicated pieces fit together with utmost precision like a jigsaw puzzle that renders a most beautiful Italian masterpiece when admired at completion.
At once powerful and with incredible finesse, the wine has ripe and elegant tannins, exquisite fruit and an exceptionally long finish.
Alongside Ornellaia, Sassicaia (“the stony place” in Italian), was one of the first “Super Tuscans”, those great wines made mostly from French grape varieties, but crafted very differently from their French counterparts. This initiative, which became widespread in the late 1960s, marked the beginning of a new generation of fine Italian wines. In truth, the real history of Sassicaia goes back even further. In the mid-1940s, Marquis Mario Incisa della Rochetta, the owner of Tenuta San Guido, decided to import French grape varieties (Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon) from cuttings taken from Château Lafite-Rothschild. They were initially destined for the owner's exclusive consumption. Sassicaia's wine began to be marketed for the first time in 1968 by the renowned negociant Antinori, and rapidly established a reputation as one of the best wines made from Cabernet, on a par with the finest Bordeaux. Encouraged by this past success, a number of Tuscan producers began to import all sorts of French grape varieties in large quantities. This sudden competition meant that the only differentiating features were rigour and oenological expertise. Incisa della Rochetta rose to the challenge effortlessly and now its production consistently maintains its high quality. In 1983, the Bolgheri appellation was classified DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata), adding further cachet to a famous wine, which many enthusiasts felt to be superfluous. The powerful yet incredibly delicate wine delivers mature, elegant tannins, exquisite fruitiness, and outstanding length on the palate. Even young, it is appealing. It has the advantage that it can be drunk early, but has excellent cellaring potential, which is rare for Italian wine.
iDealwine Price(1) corresponds to the hammer price and the buyer's premium charged by the auctioneer.
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